Saoirse Ronan Starring in Adaptation of "Twilight" Author's "The Host"

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Stephanie Meyer's "Twilight" series has been a veritable cash cow, so with that franchise winding down, of course Hollywood would go after another one of her titles.

Saoirse Ronan has signed on to star in "The Host," based on Meyer's 2008 novel of the same name, reported Deadline. Andrew Niccol ("Gattaca," "Lord of War") has adapted the screenplay, and may yet direct.

In short, "The Host" is set in a time when most of humanity has been taken over by invading "souls," but when one of the last "wild" humans, Melanie, is captured, she resists take over of her body by thinking constantly about the man she loves.

If that doesn't make any sense, here's the official synopsis from Meyer's website:

"Hanna"

A little girl raised in the wild to be a killing machine heads off to civilization to confront the woman who wants her dead. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett, the film opens April 8

(Published Wednesday, March 30, 2011)

Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves—Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

If you haven't yet seen Ronan in "Hanna," do so--she's great in it and the film is a wild ride. We're still awaiting a release date for her next film "Violet & Daisy" while she's down in New Zealand shooting "The Hobbit."

Published at 1:53 PM PDT on May 3, 2011 | Updated at 11:45 AM PDT on May 30, 2012